Darkness Rising

Signature Items

Each of the Starborn have a signature item. These are, like the Starborn themselves, instances of stellar energy being infused into a material vessel. Unlike the Starborn, these weapons are not created anew upon each Equinox of the Heroes. They stay on earth, meaning that they have to be kept safe by those who await the return of the Starborn. As the world is a chaotic place, full of thieves and vagabonds, it is quite common for these sacred weapons to be stolen, traded or lost.

Each Starborn has a weapon (or a set of armour or a shield or just about any other adventuring item) that is his by right. It belonged to his predecessor and now belongs to him. However, they do not start the game with it. If they want to reclaim it, they must go searching for it.

All signature items have the following features in common:

Their special features cannot be accessed by anyone other than the Starborn to whom they belong. Only the relevant enhancement bonus is available. For example, a +3 holy avenger greatsword in the hands of anyone but the Starborn whose weapon it is can only ever function as a +3 masterwork weapon (no bonus damage).

As signature items are closely linked to individual people and the heroes that once wielded them. Their powers are not fixed, they level up as the character levels up and gain new traits over time. The powers of signature items are directly linked to the experience level of the character. Only when the character gains a certain level of experience can they gain more power from the item.

All items begin as +1 masterwork quality and grants a bonus to hit, check, or AC (depending on the item), but no damage bonus or resistance. This item grants no damage bonus, but is considered a magic item for overcoming damage reduction.

Signature Items do no have to be made or decided by the first session. You can wait a bit, it will be completely fine if you are unsure. Below is an example of a former player’s signature item. He was playing a fighter and decided that his previous incarnation was a eastern-themed samurai (hence the nodachi-like description and flavor). This is what I’m looking for when you give me your description of your signature item.

A greatsword is a truly frightening thing – you take your enemy seriously when you see her wielding one. That said, greatswords lack a certain elegance. They are the craftsman’s tools of death, not the artist’s. The Duelist’s Greatsword was created for a long-forgotten ultimate blade master. A master who understood the sword’s practical use, but also its beauty. A master who understood that while sometimes a sword must hew down rows of enemies in a war, other times it should dance like a butterfly around an opponent’s defenses.

Upon finding the Duelist’s Greatsword, it appears to be a simple, if well-crafted, greatsword of somewhat absurd size. A DC 10 Investigation check (made by someone with proficiency in martial weapons) will reveal that the sword’s proportions are… off. The grip is too short, and the base of the blade is too thin compared to standard swords. Picking it up, it feels improperly balanced, too heavy in its blade given how it must be held.